Topolsky says he's joining SB Nation because it, "believes in
real, independent journalism and the potential for new media to
serve as an answer and antidote to big publishing houses and SEO
spam — a point we couldn’t be more aligned on."

This sure sounds like a rebuke of AOL and the AOL Way,
which was the opposite.

Beyond that, he's also impressed by SB Nation's technology: "SBN
isn’t just another media company pushing news out — it’s a
testbed and lab for some of the newest and most interesting
publishing tools I’ve ever seen. In short, I was blown away when
I saw what kind of technology they’re using to get news on their
front page and engage audiences, and even more blown away when I
started talking to them about what could come next."

The site is expected to launch in the fall.

SB Nation is primarily known for its sports sites now. But, it
has over $20 million in funding and is trying to branch out to
build a new media empire. Hiring the Engadget team is smart
expansion.